Chapter 466: Many Thanks, You May Leave Now

Hearing Wang Jianqiang's faint voice.

Linglong nodded and said to Wang Jianqiang, "Master Wang, I did not bring you here today to command you, but merely to discuss this matter with you. If you are willing, we can negotiate terms; if you are not, I shall consider this matter as if it never happened."

Hearing Linglong's words, Wei Yuan and the others' expressions changed one after another. "City Lord, are you truly going to act so willfully?"

Linglong frowned, about to say something.

Wang Jianqiang suddenly raised his hand.

Linglong was startled and swallowed the words that had reached her lips.

Wang Jianqiang looked at Wei Yuan with a smile. "Senior, you have certainly gone to great pains to get me to perform Alchemy for you."

Wei Yuan's gaze flickered, and he sneered, "Wang Jianqiang, Wei indeed needs the Pill you refine, but today, Wei's personal interests are secondary. What Wei truly wants to do is to seek a way out for all these Daoist Friends."

"We have risked life and limb for Wenxian City, yet the City Lord refuses to issue you orders, claiming our contributions are not as great as yours. This is not only an insult to our loyalty to Wenxian City, but also an insult to every Cultivator who has bled for Wenxian City!"

Hearing Wei Yuan's impassioned words, the thousands of people behind him felt their blood boil simultaneously.

"Daoist Friend Wei is right; loyalty knows no distinction of status."

"He, Wang Jianqiang, merely occupies the convenience of the Dao of Alchemy; how can he compare to us who have risked life and limb for Wenxian City?"

"That's right, City Lord, issue the order."

"Issue the order~"

"Issue the order~"

Facing the tsunami-like shouts of the crowd, Linglong's brow furrowed even tighter.

She could not help but look at Wang Jianqiang.

Yet she found that Wang Jianqiang's expression remained as usual, with a faint smile even lingering on his face.

After a good while.

As the crowd's shouts died down, Wang Jianqiang swept his gaze over them, the smile on his face not diminishing in the slightest.

"Everyone, Wang feels that what you have said is not very reasonable."

"If loyalty were useful, what would Wenxian City need you for? Wouldn't it be better to raise tens of thousands of dogs?"

Hearing Wang Jianqiang's words, the crowd's expressions turned dark simultaneously.

Facing those many hostile gazes, the smile on Wang Jianqiang's face remained. "Has Wenxian City raised dogs?"

"No!"

"Because raising dogs is not as useful as raising you."

"Therefore, what Wenxian City needs is not loyalty, but ability—the kind of heaven-gifted talent capable of turning everything around."

"For example..."

"Me."

Finishing his sentence, Wang Jianqiang pointed at himself.

The crowd's complexions had long since turned from green to purple; if not for Linglong being present, some would likely have already been unable to resist attacking.

This bastard actually compared them to dogs!

Of course, this was not the most heart-wrenching part.

What pained them most was that everything Wang Jianqiang said was the truth.

They had no way to refute it!

Wang Jianqiang looked at the crowd, whose expressions were constantly shifting, and spoke again. "That said, Wang has always had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. You have indeed been injured for Wenxian City. Seeing you Daoist Friends with damaged foundations and your future cultivation affected, Wang truly cannot bear it."

"How about this, Wang can give you a chance."

Hearing this.

The crowd was stunned.

Their eyes lit up one after another.

Seeing this, Wang Jianqiang frowned and pondered for a moment before sighing. "A Perfect Pill is actually not as easy to refine as you imagine."

"Wang must pay a great price to refine this Perfect Pill, so I do not refine it easily under normal circumstances."

"Previously, it was because I saw Wenxian City falling into a crisis that I had no choice but to risk refining a large quantity of Perfect Pills."

"But since things have reached this point, Wang cannot be too selfish. I shall find a way to resolve the cost of Alchemy myself."

"However, you must provide the Medicinal Herb required for refining the Pill. As for the refining fee, Wang will draw up a price list tomorrow and have the City Lord distribute it to you."

Hearing Wang Jianqiang's low voice.

The crowd revealed looks of realization.

Indeed~

If a Perfect Pill were so easy to refine, how could it have become a legend?

It is only natural that the cost of refining is high.

No wonder the City Lord had been slow to issue orders to Master Wang.

It must be because Master Wang had already paid a great price when refining the Perfect Healing Pill previously, and the City Lord could not bear to ask for more.

Yet Master Wang was not angry at their rudeness, but instead readily agreed.

Such magnanimity is truly worthy of admiration.

Looking at themselves in contrast...

Thinking of this, the crowd revealed looks of shame.

Of course.

In a large forest, there are all sorts of birds.

Although most people were relatively reasonable.

However, there are also those who are selfish.

After Wang Jianqiang's voice fell, Wei Yuan sneered, "Wang Jianqiang, you are a part of this Wenxian City after all; it is only right and proper for you to refine Pills for us meritorious contributors, yet you actually want to charge a refining fee—isn't this going a bit too far?"

"How about this: we will provide the raw materials for the Alchemy ourselves, and let's just forget about the service fee."

Wang Jianqiang glanced at Wei Yuan, "Daoist Friend Wei is overthinking it; this matter has nothing to do with you, so you need not worry about it."

Wei Yuan was stunned, "What do you mean?"

Wang Jianqiang cast a glance at him, "Did you not understand? What Wang means is, others may have Alchemy done, but you and the other five people in your squad may not."

"You do not need to waste resources paying Wang, and Wang does not want to refine Pills for you; it is the best of both worlds."

"Bastard!"

Hearing that Wang Jianqiang had singled him and the other five people in his team out, Wei Yuan was furious.

He turned to look at the crowd behind him and said with indignant expression, "Everyone, do not fall for this bastard's scheme; he is trying to divide us."

"We must remain united so that we can fight for the greatest benefits."

"We cannot submit to him; if he wants us to pay for Alchemy, he can keep dreaming!"

Wei Yuan had originally thought that after his voice fell, it would draw many echoes of agreement as it had before.

But what he did not expect was.

After his voice fell, the scene fell into an awkward, deathly silence.

Seeing this, Wei Yuan's complexion immediately turned ugly.

Just at this moment.

In the crowd.

A middle-aged man looked at Wei Yuan with a face full of dissatisfaction.

"Daoist Friend Wei, you are going a bit too far."

"Master Wang needs to pay a not-insignificant price to refine a Perfect Pill; isn't it normal to ask for some compensation?"

"A legendary item like a Perfect Pill, and you want to obtain it without paying any price?"

"That is thinking a bit too wishfully."

Hearing the middle-aged man's Repel, Wei Yuan's face stiffened.

This person was, like him, a Seventh-tier Will Cultivator, and he also had many experts under his command, with strength not inferior to his own.

He did not fear him.

With the middle-aged man taking the lead, the crowd seemed to gain confidence.

One voice after another followed, coming from the crowd.

"Daoist Friend Wei, it was already very wrong of us to misunderstand Master Wang before; why must you continue to pressure him?"

"Exactly, Master Wang has it hard too; what right do you have to expect him to refine Pills for you for free? You aren't his son."

"It was because of your deliberate guidance before that we misunderstood Master Wang; what exactly are your intentions?"

"Daoist Friend Wei, you are being a bit irrational."

……

The crowd's tone shifted in unison.

Listening to the voices constantly coming from the crowd, Wei Yuan's complexion had already turned a livid green.

He stared at the crowd, his expression changing incessantly, "But my Pills……"

He had just opened his mouth when a voice came from the crowd again, interrupting him.

The content of the words almost made him die of anger.

"Daoist Friend Wei, didn't you say so yourself before? Whether you can get Pills or not is not important; the main thing is to find a way out for us."

"Now that we have a way out, your mission is finished, and you can leave."

"For this trip……"

"Many thanks, Daoist Friend Wei."